ARFC brought down to earth in exciting match

Playing at the Tampines SAFRA pitch for the 3^rd consecutive week, ARFC’s 4-match winning streak was halted by the Zouk team who triumphed 4-3 in a pulsating match with end-to-end action throughout.

ARFC was supported by Wayne (injured), Boon and Brendan.

ARFC started with this line-up:

Keeper - Talisman Derrick

Right-back - Dependable Jinzhong

Sweeper - Astute-reading sweeper Elvis

Stopper - Towering Toh

Left-back - Combative Ron

Left-mid - Marauding Guoxiong

Centre-mid - Dynamic Soon

Centre-mid - Influential Sebastian

Right-mid - Skillful Weilit  

Striker - Talented Chun Haw

Striker - Powerful Alvin (captain)

 

Subs:

Resolute Jasper

Unpredictable Blackburn

Composed Jackson

Nippy Kenny

Unbeatable Darren

ARFC Scoring Legend Haron

Absent:

Speedy Hee

Wonder Wayne

Sublime Khim

Steely Tze Ern

Hard-man Tjioe

Impeccable How Meng

Booming Boon

ARFC was put under intense pressure from Zouk but held out.

ARFC took the lead in the 17^th min from a corner. Chun Haw’s corner was swung high to the far post and Alvin headed a low ball back across goal. Showing Robbie Fowler-like predatory instinct, Toh swopped in with a brilliant left foot shot to beat their keeper. 1-0 and this was Toh’s first goal in 2013!

ARFC then conceded a goal. 1-1

ARFC then conceded another goal 1-2

ARFC equalized after Soon’s over-hit pass down the right flank looked to be picked up by their left back who passed back to their keeper. However, Guoxiong had other ideas as he continued his lung-busting run and amazingly, he reached the ball ahead of their keeper. He nipped the ball away from him and easily rolled the bal into the empty net for his 17^th ARFC goal. 2-2

However, ARFC conceded another goal. 2-3

ARFC then had a seemingly legitimate goal chalked off. Kenny found Blackburn with a clever ball down the left flank and Blackburn immediately thundered a ball ala Ryan Giggs into the 6-yard area. Chun Haw dashed in and crashed the ball high into the net but the referee decided that Blackburn was already offside. Bad call!

In the 2^nd half, ARFC conceded another goal. 2-4

Sebastian then released Haron with a reverse pass. With just their keeper to beat, Haron chipped the ball wide of the goal.

ARFC then had another goal disallowed. From Sebastian’s corner, Toh leaped like a salmon and powered the ball home with his forehead. However, the referee deemed that Toh had pushed their defender in the aerial dual. Unlucky!

The referee then made yet another mistake when Soon made a brilliant run from deep and was free. However, the referee blew for offside. To his credit, when probed by Sebastian discreetly, he admitted that he had made the wrong call.

ARFC then pulled a goal back. From the left, Alvin hit a delicious ball in between their keeper and sweeper. With the ball bouncing, Haron came in and nodded the ball away from their keeper. With just an empty net, Haron could not miss and scored his 192^nd ARFC goal and 2^nd successive goal at the same venue. 3-4

ARFC pushed for the late equalizer and was indebted to Derrick when he produced a one-on-one save.

ARFC could not grab an equalizer and lost 3-4

At press time, the voting results are still not in.